Resettlement showcase brings in further miseries to uprooted Tamils

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 August 2012, 20:29 GMT]250 families recently brought to Chivanakar village in Puthukkudiyiruppu (PTK) division of Mullaiththeevu district complain that they have been let down by the SL authorities that rush to vacate the Menik Farm in Cheddiku'lam, Vavuniyaa. Promising the uprooted proper resettlement to the uprooted Tamils in their own village, 141 families were brought from Menik Farm to Chivanakar. Another 101 families who were residing with their kith and kin elsewhere also joined them when their village was announced opened for resettlement. Now, these families are struggling in their own village without any shelter and have sought refuge under the trees. There are no basic facilities. Most of these families, who are below the poverty line, demand at least temporary huts and basic facilities before the rainy season begins in a few weeks from now.

The complaints from the people of Chivanakar follows the reports of SL military expelling the people brought from Menik Farm to Mallikaith-theevu in PTK a few days ago. The SL military chased away the people of Mallikaiththeevu saying there were still land mines in their village. The area had been declared ready for resettlement earlier.

In the meantime, uprooted people brought from Menik Farm to Poonakari division in Ki'linochchi district a few months ago, have now announced civil protests after their requests and repeated appeals for basic facilities have been totally ignored by the Sri Lankan authorities.

The Sri Lankan State, while projecting military enclaves and Sinhala colonies in the country of Eezham Tamils, systematically sabotage external aid programmes reaching the resettling Tamils. Foreign and local NGOs are not allowed to operate in Vanni and the people are made to expect assistance coming through their enemy's genocidal gates.

Colombo authorities only gave 20,000 rupees to each of the family of Chivanakar, who were promised resettlement in their own village. Since then, there has been no credible move in assisting them with basic facilities necessary for resettlement.

Recently, SL Defence Secretary and presidential sibling Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has gone on record vowing to close down the Menik Farm camp.

Diplomatic circles in Colombo said the Rajapaksa regime in Colombo was attempting to project that all the displaced Tamils have been resettled by dispersing the uprooted Tamils without providing basic facilities.